The Time of Death
by Charmed225
Summary: Prue's soul astral projected itself into the body of AU Prue at the moment of her death. Prue finds herself in a world where Victor had taken her with him when he left Patty, and where she hasn't seen her sisters, the Charmed Ones, since. All 4 sisters.
1. Chapter 1

At the moment of Prue's death in All Hell Breaks Loose, her soul Astral-Projected itself into the body of an Alternative-Universe Prue. Suddenly she finds herself in a world where Victor had taken her with him when he left Patty, and where she has grown up without meeting her sisters-Piper, Phoebe and Paige-who make up the Power of Three, for many many years. 

Everything that happened in the show _still happens. _This is going on alongside the show's happenings.

Disclaimer for the whole fic: Surprise surprise I don't own Charmed. Enough said. 

The beginning of this chapter is from series 4, 'Charmed Again', and is set in the normal Universe.

* * *

**Chapter One**

'I'm a witch, damn it. I've summoned people before and I'm going to summon Prue now whether you like it or not! No more games, no more playing the good witch,' Piper Halliwell strode across the attic to where the Book of Shadows lay open. 'I want to talk to my sister. I need to talk to my sister. At the very least, you owe me that.'

She didn't know whether she was talking to herself or to the Elders. Either way, it felt good to get her thoughts out in the open. She took a deep breath and glared at the book.

'Here these words, hear my cry, spirit from the other side. Come to me, I summon thee. Cross now the Great Divide.'

White magical lights slowly began to appear inside the circle in the centre of the room. Piper, full of hope, stepped away from the book and held her breath. She waited, heart beating fast, for the arrival of her sister's ghost. The figure in the circle materialised, as much as a ghost could, to become…

'Grams?' Piper asked, disappointment evident in her voice.

'Hello, my darling. How are you?' Grams said with a kind smile as she gazed back at her granddaughter.

'How am I?' Piper snapped at her dead grandmother. 'Are you kidding? Do you guys not get the news up there?'

'I meant, how are you holding up?' Penny said hastily, not wanting to upset Piper even more.

'Not very well,' Piper looked tired. 'I'm a little lost. Why didn't you come before? When I called after…'

'I couldn't, Piper. I was… busy,' Penny didn't exactly want to talk about this subject, but she knew that it was inevitable.

'You were busy?'

'I was with Prue.'

'Oh,' Piper felt her heart wrench at hearing her sister's name. 'Of course you were. Right. Well, that makes sense. Is she okay?'

'Your mother and I are helping her through this.'

' But how is she?' Piper questioned.

'I'm not allowed to tell you now… just like you're not allowed to see her, at least not for a while anyway,' Penny replied vaguely.

'But, why?' Piper demanded, angry at the unfairness of the whole situation.

'Because seeing Prue right now, speaking to her, keeps her alive for you. Which keeps you from being able to move on with your life, to continue with your destiny,' Penny said, as gently as she could.

'What destiny?' Piper cried, flinging up her arms. 'Okay? It's over. It's done. Prue is gone. And I…'

'I know, sweetie. I know… but if there's one thing you've learned over the last three years, it's that there's a reason for everything…which means there's a reason for this, too. Your destiny still awaits. Blessed be.'

Penny Halliwell disappeared before Piper's desperate gaze. She blinked a couple of times, and found herself back in the Afterlife, face to face with her daughter Patty.

'Well?' Patty demanded, staring intently at her mother. 'What did you tell her?'

'That she couldn't see Prue,' Patty replied.

'And she accepted it, just like that?' Patty was unconvinced.

'Well, I didn't really give her a chance to think otherwise,' Patty admitted. 'Anyway, I told her that for her to see Prue would keep her alive, which means that the remaining Charmed Ones couldn't move on with their lives.'

'But where is Prue?' Patty groaned. 'How is it possible for her spirit not to be here, in the Afterlife?'

'Perhaps the Elders decided to make her into a Whitelighter…' Patty guessed, although even she realised that it was highly unlikely.

'Well, I need to talk to them,' Patty told her mother firmly. 'I have to find my daughter's spirit.'

* * *

Prue awoke with an aching head. She opened her eyes and immediately shut them again, trying to block out the glaring lights.

'Prue! Oh my god, you're awake!'

A voice came from somewhere, but it was an unfamiliar voice. Prue slowly opened her eyes again and stared about. She was lying in a hospital bed, with white sheets covering her, and some sort of tube attached to her arm. A man with dark hair and scruffy clothes sat on a chair beside the bed, and as the feeling slowly crept back into her limbs, Prue realised that he was holding her hand.

'Who are you?' she asked. Her voice sounded strange, and it was an effort talking. She was slowly gaining her memory, and she struggled to remember what had exactly happened to put her in hospital. Then it came to her in a flash.

'Shax!' she gasped in panic. 'Are Piper and Phoebe alright? What happened? I need to get to them, make sure they're ok!'

The man frowned at her.

'Prue, who are Phoebe and Piper?'

Prue ignored the strange man and sat up quickly. The room began to spin, but she clenched her jaw and forced herself to focus. She had to find her sisters.

'Prue, I think you're confused. The doctors said you might be…'

'Look, who the hell are you anyway?' Prue snapped as she tried to get out of bed.

'Oh no you don't, honey,' a nurse reprimanded her as she came into the room. 'Doctor Harris is about to check up on you.'

'I think she has amnesia,' the man whispered to the nurse. Prue's mind raced as she heard his words.

'Actually, I'm fine,' she told him with a fake smile. 'Could you get me a drink?'

'Sure…' the strange man frowned. 'I'll be right back.'

'_Don't count on me waiting for you,' _Prue muttered darkly as she watched both the man and the nurse leave the room. As soon as they had gone, she dived out of bed, pulling the tube from her arm. Blood began to flow from the entry point, but she ignored it, and snatched a bag up off the floor. As she had hoped, there was a clean set of woman's clothes. She stripped out of her hospital robes and threw on the clothes as quickly as she could. Then she slipped out of her room and ran down the corridor.

_I'll go straight to the Manor first, and see if they're there _she thought to herself as she left the hospital and headed for a taxi.

'Where to, miss?' the driver asked.

'1329 Prescott Street,' she said automatically. She picked her cuticles nervously as the taxi pulled out of the carpark. She couldn't get to the Manor fast enough. Finally, the driver stopped.

'Here we are,' He told her. Prue frantically dug into the pocket of her jeans and found a ten-dollar note. She breathed a sigh of relief, and thrust it at the driver.

'Keep the change!' she called over her shoulder as she hurried up the steps and pounded on the door.

'Piper! Pheebs! Open up!'

There was a sound from within, and the door opened to reveal a girl with dark brown hair.

'Who are you?' both asked at the same time.

'Look, where's Piper? Or Pheebs?' Prue demanded.

'Are you a friend of theirs?' the girl asked. Prue clenched her jaw. The girl was acting as if she lived there…

'Of course I'm a friends of theirs! I'm…'

'You can't know them that well, if you don't know about me,' the girl interrupted.

'Who are you, then?' Prue asked with the last ounce of her patience.

'I'm Paige, their half-sister.'

Paige was just in time to catch Prue before she hit the concrete stairs in a dead faint.

* * *

Ok, so what do you guys think!!?? Please review and tell me whether it's worth continuing!!!! 


	2. Chapter 2

Ok, so here's the thing: I haven't updated this story in months. I sort of lost interest in Charmed for a while, but now I have bought the 6th Season on DVD and I'm absolutely hooked again! I really want to finish this story now, and I promise that I will. And I won't spend months between updates!

I'm afraid that this chapter isn't the greatest, and not a lot happens. But stick with me, because I just need to get 'into the swing of things' again, and my writing will start to flow better!

* * *

**Chapter Two**

Prue groaned as she awoke. Her head was pounding and her mouth felt dry as she twisted over and opened her eyes. Sitting up dazedly, she looked around her and noticed two things at once. Firstly that she was inside the manor, and secondly that something was different. The pictures on the walls weren't the same, the furniture looked different and there was no sign of Prue living there.

_What's happening? _She thought fuzzily. _Perhaps Shax has done something to create this…_

'Hey Grams, she's awake!' a voice called. Prue turned quickly in the direction of the voice. The brown haired girl from before stood in the doorway, staring back.

'Did you say…?' Prue croaked, but before she could continue, another, older woman entered the room.

'Grams?' Prue gasped in surprise. 'What…? How…?'

'Darling, I think you're a little confused. Are you alright? I mean, you gave us quite a shock when you fainted.'

The brown haired girl approached the couch where Prue was sitting.

'I'm Paige Halliwell,' she informed Prue, holding out her hand.

'Prue,' Prue replied, taking her hand suspiciously. Penny's eyes flickered with recognition at the name, but she didn't say anything.

'Your arm's bleeding!' Paige noticed with a frown. She pulled the sleeve of Prue's top up, and saw the hole where the tube had been in Prue's arm. It was bleeding freely, yet Prue hadn't noticed a thing.

'Have you just come out of hospital?' Penny asked with concern, noting the position and size of the wound. 'I think you might need to go back. They obviously discharged you too early.'

'I'm fine,' Prue replied hurriedly. She still felt sick, but there was no way she was going back to that room, back to that strange man. 'Where are Piper and Phoebe?'

Just then the front door slammed, and Piper's voice called out:

'This had better be good! My boss isn't believing the 'family emergency' line any more!'

She rounded the corner, and entered the living room.

'What's up?'

Prue was surprised to see her dressed in a waitress outfit, but the relief she felt at seeing her sister drowned out any alarm bells ringing in her head.

'My god, Piper, thank goodness you're here!' she said with relief.

'Sorry?' Piper replied in a confused tone. 'Who are you?'

'Isn't she a friend of yours?' Penny asked. 'We thought she was. Poor dear fainted right on our doorstep. I was just contemplating whether or not we should take her back to the hospital.'

'Well, I certainly don't know her,' Piper informed her grandmother. 'Maybe Phoebe does.'

'Nope, Phoebe does not,' a voice said from the hall as Phoebe entered. Everyone turned to stare at her, and then turned back to stare at Prue.

'I know what you're thinking, but I'm not one,' Prue told them in annoyance. This whole situation was bothering her, and she just wanted to get back to reality. Shax had obviously warped the timeline or something. The other four glanced nervously at each other.

'You're not what?' Piper asked suspiciously.

'A demon. Or a warlock. Or any other evil being. I'm Prue, your older sister, one third of the Power of Three, and-'

'Sorry, did you say you were part of the Power of Three?' Paige interrupted. 'Because that's impossible. Me, Piper and Phoebe are the Power of Three. And how do you even know about us anyway?'

Prue's head started to ache even more. _Damn you Shax _she winced.

'Look, this is ridiculous!' she snapped. 'I'm a witch, that's how I know about you…three. I have the power of telekinesis. Look!'

She thrust her arm out and flicked a finger. A vase shot off the coffee table, smashing against the floor and leaving a mess of flowers, water and shattered glass.

'Oops,' Prue grimaced. 'That's funny, I haven't had that lack of control in a few years…Shax must have messed me up more than I thought.'

She turned her gaze back towards Penny. She wanted to tell her grandmother how nice it was to see her alive and well. Something inside her, however, told Prue that it might not be wise.

Piper, Phoebe and the girl called Paige were conversing in low voices. Piper kept shooting confused looks in Prue's direction, almost as if she had remembered something from long ago.

'Girls, I think it's time for me to tell you,' Penny broke in.

'Tell us what?' Phoebe asked.

'This may come as a bit of a surprise, but Prue really is your sister.'

'Thank you!' Prue sighed in relief, deeply relieved that at least one person knew her.

'She's the eldest,' Penny went on without stopping. 'She always used to look after Piper and Phoebe.'

'But not me?' Paige said with one eyebrow lifted.

'She never got to meet you,' Penny said sadly. 'When Victor left, he took Prue with him. Patty tried to find him, to get Prue back, but it was no use. She even tried using magic for personal gain. The Elders would have taken her magic away if she had continued.'

'How come we didn't know?' Phoebe demanded. 'Why didn't you tell us?'

'The Elders forbid it. They thought that if you knew, you would try and find Prue.'

'Of course we would have!' Phoebe stuttered, 'If this is true…'

'They couldn't let you find her. They didn't know what would happen to the Power of Three if she joined you.'

'I can remember you…' Piper said softly. 'Little things. There was a thunderstorm, and you held my hand and told me that everything would be ok. The day Victor left, I remember shouting and screaming and mom was crying for ages.'

'Why didn't you ever say anything?' Paige asked softly.

'Mom and Grams never mentioned us having another sister. After a few years I thought she was just an imaginary friend that I had had when I was young.'

'This is all wrong!' Prue said, finding her voice at last. 'Don't worry; I'll fix it as soon as I figure out what Shax has done.'

'What do you mean, it's all wrong? We vanquished Shax this morning,' Paige said.

'The story that 'Grams' told you is a lie. You don't exist! Neither does Grams…she died years ago!'

Prue's mind was in turmoil. She was confused and upset, and didn't know where she really was. Suddenly, she Astral-Projected herself behind Paige.

'What is wrong with my powers?' she threw her arms up in defeat, returning to her real body as she did so. The room spun as she tried to adjust.

'Oh no,' she groaned as everything grew dark. 'Not aga…'

'I think we need to get her back to the hospital,' Grams said.

* * *

So I hoped you all enjoyed it!

Thanks to: **bookcrzygirl, Charmedfan90, Phylicia Gordon, lizardmomma, mandymoore1, anetteo, crs529, Anarra, Allen Pitt, -0-charmed-freak-0-, Mony19, Jedi Alanna, scme, and Lady Anne Boleyn **for their reviews of Chapter One! Thanks!!

Please Read and Review!! And tell me if you see any typoes...


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

'So where the hell is my daughter's spirit then?' Patty demanded as she glared at the group of Elders. She felt a slight satisfaction she saw several of them shuffle their feet uncomfortably. 'Well? I'm waiting…'

'The thing is, Patty, we don't really know,' Kralen replied apologetically. Patty raised her eyebrows disbelievingly.

'Don't lie to me,' she snapped with a slight tremor in her voice. 'My eldest daughter has just died, and I want to know where her spirit is NOW!'

Kralen took a step towards her, pity written across his face.

'I really wish I could help you, Patty,' he said in a heart-felt tone. 'But we can't sense her at all…'

* * *

Prue awoke with an aching head. She opened her eyes and immediately shut them again, trying to block out the glaring lights. _Why does this feel like déjà vu?_ she thought bitterly, as she slowly let her vision adjust. _I really have to stop doing that…_

'You really have to stop doing this,' a man's voice sounded close by. 'I was so worried, Prue! Why did you run off?'

It was the same man who had been in her hospital room earlier. And now her eyes had adjusted properly, Prue saw she was back in the same hospital.

_Damn…_

'I really appreciate that you brought her here,' the man continued, speaking to someone standing at the foot of her bed. Prue struggled to sit up, and found Penny standing with her arms folded, trying not to glare at the man. Piper, Phoebe and Paige peered in through the door.

'Can we come in now?' Phoebe moaned. 'There's nowhere to sit out here.'

'Yes, come in,' Prue managed to croak out. Everyone's attention turned to her. 'Please explain what's going on here.'

'Well, we-' Penny began, but the man interrupted her.

'You had just woken up, Prue. I went to get you a drink and when I came back, you had disappeared.'

'I had just woken up from what?' Prue demanded, more and more confused. The man looked worried.

'They said this might happen…' he muttered. 'Prue, don't you remember the accident? At all?'

'N-no,' Prue said slowly, her mind racing. _Shax. He's done all of this. Don't believe anything._

'You were in a car accident Prue. You almost died.'

'I can't have been…' Prue fell silent. _This isn't real _she reminded herself. _Even if it feels real._

'I think Miss Halliwell can be discharged in a week,' a portly doctor announced as he waddled into the room, reading notes off of a clipboard.

'Another week?' Prue gasped. 'I can't, really I can't.'

'Maybe it would help Prue calm down and remember some things if I took her home,' the dark haired man suggested. The doctor hesitated.

'I don't want to discharge her so soon,' he frowned. 'But as long as you look after her, Brian, then I might consider it, I suppose.'

Prue didn't want the strange man Brian to look after her, but she bit her tongue. As long as she got out of this hospital, then she would have a chance to get back to her real sisters. She felt her gaze shift to Paige. Her supposedly 'youngest' sister did look remarkably like Patty. A doubt grew in her mind as she wondered how Shax could create a being who Prue could actually accept as her sister. _He must be able to get into my thoughts _she reasoned. But the doubt still lingered. Was this real or not?

Twenty minutes later, Prue was walking out of the hospital doors, a fresh breeze hitting her face. Brian hung by her side, watching her closely.

'You can go away now,' she informed him harshly, as Penny and the others followed. A hurt expression filled his face.

'Look, Prue, I know you've been through a lot, and I know that you might not remember me right now, but you will. I love you.'

Prue spun around.

'You what?' she demanded.

'Don't sound so surprised,' Brian said with a quirk of his mouth. 'I've told you often enough. You'll remember soon enough.'

Prue was becoming even more uneasy, if such a thing was possible. _Can Shax even know about love?_ She mused.

'Please come to visit us,' Penny approached. 'I know everything must be so overwhelming right now, but I think it would be good if we can catch up on the years we've lost. And we need to talk about…other things.'

Tears filled her eyes as she looked at the granddaughter she thought she would never see again. Prue nodded in understanding at her grandmother's message, and then Penny turned to the others.

'Let's go, dears.'

Paige came up to Prue with a half smile.

'I wish you were younger, but I suppose I'll just have to accept that I'm always going to be the baby,' she said, as Phoebe came to join them.

'At least I'm not the only middle child now,' she attempted to joke. Prue looked at her little sister carefully. She looked like Phoebe, but there was something in her manner that didn't convince Prue. Something was different. Paige and Phoebe went to join Penny, who was slowly walking back to the car. Piper hesitated and turned to Prue with a suspicious look.

'I don't think I'm going to adjust very well to not being the oldest anymore,' she said truthfully, before hurrying to catch up with the others. Prue watched her family walk away, leave her. She was left alone with a man claiming to love her, but whom she didn't even know.

'Wait!' she called suddenly. Piper turned back. 'Where's mom, I mean, Patty?'

'She died years ago,' Piper said abruptly.

'Let's go home,' Brian offered. Prue took one last look at her real family; she wanted to run after them, tell them to take her with them. Then she nodded.

'Let's go home,' she repeated quietly.

Brian led her over to a beat-up old car.

'This is our ride?' she said, eyebrows raised. He smiled sheepishly.

'We're not exactly rolling in money,' he admitted. Prue had to agree as she saw her 'home' ten minutes later; a small, dark flat in a concrete apartment block. The front door was peeling, and creaked ominously as she stepped into a small dingy hallway. She shivered slightly, and felt a hand on her arm.

'I'll pay the heating bills as soon as I can,' he promised. 'Now, I guess as you don't exactly remember me, I had better sleep on the couch…'

Prue smiled her thanks. But she almost wished another person was in the room with her as she tried to sleep in the cold, dark bedroom. This was definitely not the manor. And left alone with her thoughts, Prue felt a little prick of fear.

* * *

Ok, so I know not much happened in this chapter, but stay with me!! More will happen, and I promise things will get more interesting…I just needed to set a few things up for the story. Anyway, I'll hopefully update soon, but I can't promise anything 'cos I have an exam next month and it's revision revision revision.

Thanks to: **Charmedfan90, lizardmomma, allenterrill, Jedi Alanna, Charmedisawesome1994, Halliwell-Piper, -zi-tok-, Mony19, Allen Pitt **(all your questions will be answered, I promise!) **and anetteo **for their reviews!

Please read and review!!


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